Future Eclectus Owner - Cage Selection Question

[cneuhauser]

Good Evening Everyone... so yup, I like torture, and decided that all of the work of a parrot wasn't enough, so I wanted to pick one of the most needy of the bunch, and have decided that an Ekkie (after about 10yrs of thinking about it) is the next to join my flock; barely edging out a Congo Grey...

I've read and heard differing opinions on cage bar spacing... some say 3/4" at most "NO LARGER" others say 1" is fine. These bar spacings will drastically change my cage selection since I'm going for the biggest cage I can afford. Any insight from Ekkie parents would be appreciated...my only concern with larger bar spacing is, could my Ekkie get his head stuck? Lol I know sounds stupid, but... just being cautious.

Currently I'm looking at:

Kings Cages Corner Cage - GC14022 (3/4" spacing) 54x42x60

A&E Cages Corner Cage CC4242 (1" bar spacing) 61x48x64

 

[saxguy64]

Congratulations in advance of your choice. No arguments from me on the Ekkie, although I admit, I've wanted a grey for as long as I can remember. Never met the right one (of course, until I was already 1 parrot over my limit lol)

Yup, lots of opinions on bar spacing. I personally have no issue with 1". My guy Tucker came with his cage- a Preview Silverado. Cheaper construction, but it's huge at 36x46x76, and the specs list the spacing over 1". Nope, he can't fit his head between the bars or get stuck. Not sure if a smaller sub-species might be an issue. The down side is it won't fit through a 36" doorway. I keep his travel cage right next to it in case of emergency.

Personal preference, I'm not really a fan of the corner cages, since they cut in to the inside space a lot, and the bottom trays/grates can be kind of funky. Really depends on your space for it though. When it's replacement time for Tucker's, I'm thinking more like a 30x40 with a playtop. Several manufacturers make that size or similar, though I'm partial to King's and Avian Adventures. Again, everyone has an opinion. That size is quite large, but you can still roll it out the door if you need to get them out quickly.

Anyway, my two cents. Hope it's of help.

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[Alembic772]

1” bar spacing should not be a problem for an eclectus. The rule of thumb is the bird should not be able to get its head through the bar spacing. I have a somewhat smaller Solomon Island male (he’s 22, weighing in just around 360-370 grams) and he had a metal cage with 1” bar spacing for the first two years of his life.

He has since then been in acrylic cage that is roughly 48x24x36, so no bar spacing to worry about. This acrylic has gotten old and brittle, though, so I find myself thinking about what to do next. I like the cleanliness of the acrylic cage, but it has some downfalls as cleaning it is difficult and so is setting up perches.


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